Broom or sweeper attachment for tractors



June 28, 1955 A. WAGNER ET AL 2,711,551

BROOM OR SWEEPER ATTACHMENT FOR TRACTORS Filed June 18, 195] 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 M1" ii HRNOLO J. LUERNEE Gttornegs June 28, 1955 A. A. WAGNER ETAL Filed June 18, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 i i I 54 I M a 1 e5 8/ .38 T

.52 M f /Q. 3

3maentors J Gttornegs June 28, 1955 A. A. WAGNER ETAL 2,711,551

BROOM OR SWEEPER ATTACHMENT FOR TRACTORS Filed June 18, 195] 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 I03 i J3 Summers 14001194 14. VVflG/Vfl H/P/VOL D J. WERNER ML WY'M Gttornegs rite! United States Patent Office Patented June 28, 19 55,

BROOM 0R SWEEPER A'ITACHMENT FOR TRACTORS Adolph A. Wagner, Milwaukee, and Arnold J. Werner, Elm Grove, Wis assignors to Wagner Iron Works, Milwaukee, Wis'., aflcoi'poratioii ofwiseonsin e r i t an Ja e 18 1 S i N 23 18 11 C laims. (CI. 15-82) This invention relates to a broom or sweeper attachment "for tractors, and particularly to tractors equipped V ing the broom and its mountingelements as a unitary assembly or package, separa'te from but easily attachable to the dipper stick, thesame tractor and dipper stick used to power other "ap ar tus be used to operate the broom attachment. Accordingly, a separate prime mover and moiinting attachment for the: broom is not necessary. I

All of the various attachments are interchangeably powered and op'erate d by the same tractor and dipper stick apparatus. v

An object of the invention is to provide a broom attachment having a hydraulic motor which may be connected to the "hydraulicsyster'n on't he tractor, and by means of which the broom maybe swung in a vertical plane to apply it to or remove it from contact with the surface being swept. A novel sweeper yoke support and sweeper drive means are provided whereby the brush may be driven without interfering with its elevation or tilting movement. "Another object of the invention is to provide a clutch mechanism connected to the brush lifting and lowering apparatus whereby to automatically clutch and declutch thebrush drive enginejin response to the tilting movement ofthe brush. Accordingly, the brush is automatically driven when in road contact, but the engine is declu'tched to be disconnected from the brush when it is upwardly tilted.

'A further object of the invention is to provide a turn table mounting upon which the rotary brush is supported so that it may be swungfrom side to side in a horizontal plane. The turn table also provides a support for the brush drive engine which moves with the brush, and "mounts both the brush and engine from the elevatable end of the dipper stick.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be more apparent to one skilled in the art upon an examination of the following disclosure.

'In the drawings: l

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of. the sweeper or broom attachment connected to a tractor and dipper stick. Fig.2 is a fragmentary perspective view onan enlarged scale from the rear of the sweeper attachment.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the sweeper attachment and its novel mounting, portions of the brush guard being broken away, other parts being shown in section and the theen'gine being removed the whole being drawn to line s-aqrtag. 7. 1

Fig 4 is a fragmentary cross sectional view taken along the line 4-4 bfrFi 3.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary cross sectional view taken along the line 55 of Fig. 4. v l Fig." 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of the clutch throw-out mechanism and the linkage between the clutch and the yoke arm which supports the rotary brush.

Fig. 7 isa side view of the device, partially in? cross section along the line 7-7 of Fig. 3, and partially in elevation. i i

The sweeper attachment is removably applicable to. a dipper stick 14 which is swingably mounted on a tractor indicated generally as 10. T he'tractor is equipped with a base frame, indicated generally as 11, and which com prises A-frame members 12 securely mounted at each side of the tractor. The base frame ll is provided with a transverse bearing tube in which a rock shaft 13 is pivotally mounted. l

A dipper stick, indicated generally as 14, is swingably mounted on the rock shaft 13. The dipper stick com} prises laterally spaced cantilever arms 15, each provided with underslu'ng'elbows 16 in pivotal connection at 18 with the extensible operator of a hydraulic motor 17 fixed at its remote end to the rear axle of the tractor. The elbows receive the thrust of the motor to swing the dipper stick in a vertical plane about the pivot 13. a

As more fully described in our aforenoted co-pending application, the pivotal movement of the dipper stick 14 is regulated by the tractor operator from a dual control valve'2 1. One of the control valve handles controls the pivoting of the dipper stick, and the other is in: an inde pendent valve circuit including the fluid lines 22 which extend'to the front end of the dipper stick for interconnect ion with hydraulically actuated apparatus normally mounted at the front end of the dipper stick. in the practice of the present invention the lines 22 are extended to interconnection"with a hydraulic motor 81.0n the sweeper attachment as hereinafter described.

As before stated the present invention is concerned with a sweeper or rotary brush attachment which is adapted for interchangeable mounting upon the swing.- able front end of the 'dipper stick. For this purpose, we provide a turn table mount or frame having relatively stationary and turnable parts, the rotary brush and its drive engine being mounted on the tu rnable part. The relatively stationarypai't, indicated generally as 23 in Fig. 4, comprises a horizontal tube 25 which is welded or otherwise securely mounted at one end to a vertical plate 26 which is rigidly mounted on the laterally spaced upstanding mounting channels 27. Tube 25 is further supportedon the plate 26 by, means of the bracingwebs 40. V. i I i' The channels have a pivotal connection near their bottom endswith the transversely aligned pins 28 of the cantilever arms 15 of the dipper stick 14. The channel members 27" are further provided with caster wheels 36 which are pivotally mounted in the sockets 31 at the lower'ends of the channels 27, and which support the sweeper attachment and dipper stick in their lowermost position. The channel shaped members 27 are also pivotally'connected at 'theinupper ends, on outturned levers 31, and pivot pins 32, to parallelogram rods '33. The rods 33' parallel th'e dippe'r stick'arms 15 to a pivotalconnect ion at 34 with anupstanding mast 35 on 'base frame 11. Mast 35 comprises spaced uprights rigidly connected to the base A-frame meinbers IZ.

Accordingly, the channel'members 12 7; are connected to the swingable end of the dipper stick in such a manne'r that parallelogram action of the rods 33 and cantilever arms 15 will maintain the channels in upright vertical position, and the turn table inhorizontal position, in all elevated. positions of the dipper stick. l

Rigidlyi mounted at the outer end of the tube 25, as by welding 43 or the like, is a vertical bearing tube '41-.

The respective tubes and 41 provide a base upon which a bed plate 44, having a large aperture registering with the inner bore 46 of vertical tube 41, is mounted. As best shown in Fig. 5, the laterally spaced webs 42 and welds 43 provide a firm base for the plate 44 upon tube 25.

Mounted for rotation on the stationary part in a horizontal plane is a turnable part comprising an engine supporting plate 47, complementary with bed plate 44, and having a depending vertical tube 48 turnable in the bearing sleeve or tube 41. As best shown in Fig. 4, tube 48 is longer than tube 41 so that the lower end of tube 48 projects downwardly from the lower end of the tube 41. Connected to the projection end oftube 48 is collar 51 to which a laterally extending horizontal angle bracket 52 is rigidly connected. The bracket 52 constitutes turnable wings to which the rotary brush is pivotally connected, as hereinafter described more in detail.

Upstanding from the turnable plate 47 and movable therewith are mounting brackets 53 upon which is mounted an internal combustion engine 54 which is provided with a power transmission drive to the rotary brush. The drive will also be hereinafter described in more detail.

The sweeper attachment further comprises a rotary brush or broom 55 which is supported on a horizontally disposed internally bored core 57 by axle or drive shaft 56. The broom is confined against lateral shifting by end blocks 58. Axle 56 is turnable in bearings 61 on arms 62 of yoke bar 63. Yoke bar 63 is in turn provided with laterally spaced pivot arms 64 which are fixedly mounted on the bar 63 and on jack shaft or pivot bar 65 journaled at its respective ends and at either side of the arms 64 in the paired mounting brackets 66 and 67. The respective paired brackets 66 and 67 are rigidly supported from a front plate 68 fixed to the angle bracket or wing 52.

The rotary brush 55 is driven by means of motion transmitting connections including a sprocket 71 fast to one end of brush axle 56, a chain 72 meshing with sprocket 71 and with a sprocket 73 on the outboard end of a drive shaft 74 which carries an inboard sprocket 75 in turn meshing with chain 76 connected with a drive sprocket (not shown) on the engine 54. Chain 76 from the engine to sprocket 75 is partially enclosed in a guard 77, and chain 72 from sprocket 73 to sprocket 71 is partially enclosed in a guard 78. Drive shaft 74 is journaled in bracket mountings 80 on the front plate 68 of wing 52 to be disposed on an axis constituting an extension of jack shaft 65 about which the broom assembly pivots in a vertical plane. Accordingly, pivoting movement of the broom will not interfere with the drive from the engine to the broom, and chain tension will remain the same in all positions of pivotal movement.

As best shown in Fig. 7, pivotal or tilting movement of the rotary brush 55 in a vertical plane is desirably powered by means of a hydraulic motor 81 which has .a fixed pivoted connection at 82 to the inside of the angle bracket 52, and a fixed pivoted connection at 83 with a motion multiplying lever 84. Lever 84 is fulcrumed at 85 to an arm 86 which is rigidly mounted on the under surface of the angle bracket 52. The end of lever 84 remote from fulcrum 85 is connected to a chain 87 which has an adjustable connection at 88 with the top slotted end of crank arm 91 which is in fixed connection with yoke bar 63 and in pivotal connection with jack shaft 65.

Hydraulic motor 81 is supplied with pressurized fluid through extended hydraulic fluid line 22 normally supof the road surface. The weight of the brush is partially counterbalanced by compression spring 93 coiled about a rod 94 which extends from connection of its inturned end 95 with the crank 91 through an aperture in the frame member 96 to an end washer 97. The spring 93 acts between frame-member 96 and washer 97 to assist the hydraulic motor 81 in elevating the broom. The spring, however, is not powerful enough to lift the broom unassisted. In the absence of hydraulic pressure in the motor 81 the broom is held by its own weight against the road.

As best shown in Fig. 6, the engine 54 and broom 55 are provided with an automatic clutch interlock by means of which the engine will be automatically clutched to transmit power to the broom when the broom is in road contacting position, and is declutched when the broom is in upwardly tilted position. The engine clutch (not shown) is operated by a shaft 100 which receives rotary motion from crank 101 fixed on yoke bar 63. The shaft 100 and crank 101 are interconnected by means of linkages which are acted upon by the opposed springs 102, 103 to oppose movement of the crank and shaft in either direction of rotation and to assure that the clutch will follow crank action in either direction.

The linkages between the crank 101 and the clutch operating rod 100 includes a bell crank 104 connected to crank 101 by link 99, and a lever arm 105 having an intermediate pivot on the edge of plate 47. The lever arm 105 has an adjustable connection at 107 with rod 106 pivoted to the other end of bell crank 104. The opposite end of the lever 105 is slotted for sliding connection at 109' with plunger 108 which carries spaced abutments 112 against which the opposed springs 102, 103 act. The opposite ends of the springs abut fixed brackets 113 which also slidably support the plunger 108. An extension of the plunger 108 is pivotally connected at 114 to a crank arm 115 having a fixed connection with clutch actuating rod 100.

By reason of the aforedescribed linkage, upward tilti ng movement of the broom will turn the yoke bar 63 to rotate crank 101 and transmit motion through the aforesaid linkage against the bias of the appropriate opposed spring to turn the clutch shaft 100 to declutch the engine. This disconnects the engine from the broom. Downward tilting of the broom in a direction to contact the road surface has the converse result of clutching the engine to drive the broom in a rotary path against the road.

In addition to the pivotal or tilting movement of the broom in a vertical plane, the broom may also be swung in a horizontal plane on its turntable mounting and about the axis of the turntable shaft 48. In this manner the broom may be set to sweep material from the roadway to one or the other side of the tractor path, or straight ahead. As best shown in Figs. 3 and 4 the bed plate 44 of the turntable is provided with locking means comprising an arcuate series of apertures 116 which selectively receive a stop pin 117 on turnable plate 47. Pin 117 is biased by tension spring 118 into fitted contact with the selected aperture to lock. the broom in selected angular position.

The rotary brush is optionally provided with a hood or shield 121 which is mounted by means of spaced brackets 122 to the yoke bar 63, and by means of the side brackets 123 to the yoke arms 62.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings it is readily understood that a sweeper attachment is provided which may be conveniently attached to the dipper stick of a tractor and is readily interchangeable with other tractor attachments merely by removing the pins 28 and 32, and disconnecting the fluid line 22 from hydraulic motor 81'to make the line available for use with other hydraulically actuated apparatus which may be attached to the front of the dipper stick. The broom attachment includes a turntable mounting which has a vertical axis about which the sweeper is horizontally pivotal, anda horizontal axis about which the sweeper is vertically pivotal. The sweeper attachment is further provided with a hydraulic motor which may be interconnected with the hydraulic fluid system of the tractor and by means of which the sweeper is pivoted in a vertical plane. The sweeper attachment further comprises a power source movable in a horizontal plane with the broom and having drive connections with the rotary broom which are not interfered with by tilting manipulation of the broom. The engine has a novel clutching arrangement whereby the engine will be automatically clutched and declutched in response to pivotal movement of the brush between ground contacting and elevated position.

Furthermore, it will be noted that by reason of the parallelogram action of the cantilever arms 15 and the rods 33 it is possible to elevate the entire brush and brush motivating equipment without tilting the motor 54 and without interfering with the brush operation. It is only when the hydraulic motor 81 is used to tilt the brush about the axis 65 of its mounting cranks 91 that the motive connection to the brush is declutched. Therefore, the brush is capable of operation at any elevation to which it may be carried upon the cantilever arms 15 under control of the hydraulic motors 17, and at these elevated working positions the brush is under clutch control to as great an extent as it is when in the lowermost position wherein the casters 36 may roll over the surface being brushed. Even though the brush may be turned on its turntable and locked in any of its many positions by the stop pin 117, the operator is in full control to motivate f or stop the brush and to raise the entire brush and power equipment for operation of it at a high level dictated by the cantilever positions with ultimate tilting of the brush and declutching of the power connections unimpaired at any level.

We claim:

1. A sweeper comprising a rotary brush having a power driven axle shaft, a yoke connected to said shaft for the support of the brush, a mounting frame having a pivot bar laterally offset from said yoke and to which said yoke is connected for swinging movement in one plane, said mounting frame comprising a turntable upon which the brush may be swung in a transverse plane, the turntable to which the yoke is pivotally mounted being further provided with a brush drive shaft axially aligned with the said pivot bar.

2. The device of claim 1 further comprising an engine mounted on the turntable to swing with the brush in the transverse plane and connected in driving relation with said brush drive shaft, said yoke being provided with positive action motion transmitting connections to a clutch on the engine whereby pivotal movement of the yoke in said first mentioned plane will clutch and declutch the engine according to the direction of said pivotal movement.

3. In a device of the character described including a rotary brush having a mounting yoke, a mounting frame to which the yoke is pivotally connected and an engine on the frame, said engine being provided with a clutch, clutch control connections between the yoke and clutch comprising a crank arm on the yoke and linkages from said crank arm to the clutch whereby pivotal movement of the yoke in one direction will declutch the engine, and pivotal movement of the yoke in the other direction will clutch the engine.

4. The device of claim 3 wherein linkages comprise opposed springs connected to bias the clutch against the movement of the crank in either direction.

5. For use with a vertically swingable elevating device, a mounting plate for the extended portion of the elevating device and a parallelogram bar connected to the plate whereby to preserve its erect relationship throughout an elevating movement, an attachment for the plate including a turntable provided with a prime mover and a brush connected for motivated operation by said prime mover, the brush and turntable being connected articulately, a clutch in the power connections between the prime mover and the brush including a control arm swingable with the brush in accord with its articulate movement, and positive action connections between said arm and the clutch whereby upon movement of the brush articulately to an extreme position the clutch is disengaged.

6. A sweeper attachment for the free end of a poweroperated pivotally mounted tractor boom, said attachment comprising a mounting frame having boom connecting means, a brush frame having means including a transverse pintle connecting it with the mounting frame, a brush rotatably mounted on the brush frame, means for driving the brush, and means for oscillating the brush frame in a brush raising direction independently of the mounting frame and boom.

7. The device of claim 6 in which the mounting frame includes a ground engageable support upon which it rests to carry the boom end.

8. The device of claim 6 in which the mounting frame comprises a turntable carrying said pintle.

9. The device of claim 6 in which the means for driving the brush comprises a prime mover on the mounting frame and driving connections therefrom to the brush including a rotor coaxial in part with said pintle.

10. The device of claim 6 in which the mounting frame is provided with parallelogram link means for maintaining it substantially level in boom pivotal movement, the mounting frame having a turntable carrying said pintle, an engine on the turntable, the means for driving the brush comprising driving connections from the engine to the brush including a shaft coaxial with the pintle.

11. The device of claim 10 in which the pintle lies at one side of the front of the turntable and said shaft at the other.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,407,180 Todd Feb. 21, 1922 2,235,277 Bradley Mar. 18, 1941 2,248,012 Phillips July 1, 1941 2,330,025 Bentley et al. Sept. 21, 1943 2,391,224 Carter Dec. 18, 1945 2,420,767 Barras May 20, 1947 2,548,676 .Milz et al. Apr. 10, 1951 

